Important Kaleidoscope Information

Dear Valued Retailer,

Studio M owes you an apology and a refund.

In order to protect your hard-earned reputation and the reputations of Roeda Studio and Studio M, we are asking all retailers to immediately discontinue selling Kaleidoscope Outdoor Kinetic Art and to discard all remaining inventory. There are not any safety concerns, but there are serious concerns about substandard outdoor durability.

We have already issued a credit to your account for the full amount of your Kaleidoscope purchases year-to-date, including display fixtures and any freight costs incurred. You may use this credit to purchase any of our Studio M products. Furthermore, we are offering you a 10% discount off your next immediate ship Studio M order placed before June 15, 2016. Please contact your OneCoast Territory Manager or call Studio M Customer Service for any questions regarding your credit and discount.

As you know, we launched Kaleidoscope three short months ago. Sales of the colorful moving sculptures exceeded our earliest expectations. We began shipping Kaleidoscope in late January and quickly began receiving reorders in February. At the time, our biggest concern about Kaleidoscope was keeping up with demand. Our concerns today are about quality.

Here is why we are taking this unprecedented step. First, on February 16th, a retailer in Savannah, Georgia reported corrosion of some small parts within days of exposure to the salty coastal air. Investigation revealed that corrosion tested parts had been substituted in production with untested parts that failed. As soon as we could obtain suitable replacement parts, Studio M shipped remedy kits to all Kaleidoscope retailers and froze further Kaleidoscope shipments until we had repacked all unshipped inventory in our warehouse.

If that wasn’t embarrassing enough, on March 24th, less than a week after we resumed full shipping of Kaleidoscope, a retailer in Bethany, Oklahoma sent a photograph of a Kaleidoscope sculpture that had begun fading while hanging in her display window for just one month. We aggressively investigated the problem over the weekend. We are disappointed to report we were able to confirm the defective paint using Weather Acceleration equipment.

Studio M has always believed retailers and consumers are willing to buy high-end artistic product like Kaleidoscope at high-end price points, but they deserve and are entitled to high-end performance. This product does not live up to Studio M standards. No remedy kit can fix a problem with defective paint.

Although it may be tempting for some to mark down your inventory and sell through it, we are issuing you a full credit and are asking you to discard it. We do not want inferior product sold under our brand or by your store. We apologize for any hardship or inconvenience this puts on you, but it is the right thing to do.

We know this puts our quality reputation on the line. If we sweep this or any QC problem under the rug, your faith in Studio M will be forever in question. That is unacceptable to us. We’ve worked hard to earn your trust and will hold ourselves accountable for this failure. We will learn from this incident and make changes to prevent similar failures in the future.

The Kaleidoscope line will return, hopefully this Summer. When it does, it WILL meet Studio M standards and you can again sell the product with the same confidence and pride as other Studio M products. For more information, visit www.studio-m.com/kaleidoscope411.

Sincerely, and with a healthy dose of humility,

Curt Todd, Chief Executive Officer, Studio M

Please Note:

10% Discount applies to any Studio M product, excluding freight.

10% Discount applies to a single NEW order placed prior to June 15, 2016.

Order must specify "Apply KL Credit" to receive 10% discount.

We encourage you to store your Kaleidoscope fixture and pole hardware for product relaunch.